Apparatus for coating passages



Dec. 15, 1942.

' J. M.-CROM APPARATUS FOR COATING PASSAGES Original Filed A ri 26,1934' 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jain/ Cram "M KQM Dec. 15,1942. M, R0M 2,305,239

APPARATUS FOR COATING PASSAGES Original Filed April 26,. 1934 3Sheets-Sheet 2 Dec. 15, 1942. J CRQM APPARATUS FOR COATING PASSAGESOriginal Filed April 26, 1934 3Sheets-Sheet 3 labor and material.

vto be applied thicker at one or more longitudinal Patented Dec. 15,1942 John M. Crom, New York, N. Y.

Original application April 26, 1934, Serial No. 722,585. Divided andthis application October 24, 1939, Serial No. 301,017

4 Claims.

This invention relates specifically t a new machine for applyingpneumatically projected mortar to the surface of a ditch; It involves,however, a new form of coating for passages in general, ditches, tunnelsand the like, and a method of forming such coatings. Also, althoughspecifically applicable to the formation of mortar or cement coatings,the principles of this invention may be advantageously applied to theformation of coatings of other materials, such, for,

example, as plaster, asphalt, waxes, resins, gums, or the like.

Prior to this invention, mortar coatings were applied by hand, that is,by the use of a pneugunite or cement gun manually directed onto thesurface to be covered. Even in coating small objects, hand operation ofthe projecting nozzle produces some unevenness of the coating andrequires the application of a considerable excess of the coatingmaterial to assure thorough coverage. In coating large objects such as aditch or a tunnel this unevenness and waste is greatly increased. Also,due to the uneven application, sand, which is intermixed with cement andwater to form the mortar, accumulates in small piles and a tendency tocause sand Pockets and flaws in the coating is the result. These areparticularly undesirable when water is to flow through the coatedpassage, as they retard the flow and :2 allow water to seep out andundermine the structure.

To overcome these difiiculties and produce'a lining that is smooth, evenand free from flaws and sand pockets, the present invention has beendevised. Further, this invention provides means for the economicallining of ditches, saving both It also permits the coating sectionswhere the strain or ,wear is to be greatest, usually at the bottom ofthe ditch.

In general, the new apparatus comprises a machine that travels along theditch and. carries upon an extending arm the nozzle of a pneumaticmortar projecting device. Driven by the, same means that drives themachine along the ditch is a cam or equivalent device serving tooscillate the nozzle carrying arm. This oscillation is such thatvthemortar is applied in adjacent, pa ly overlappingstrips each of whichextends traversely of the ditch. By properly shaping the cam, t e nozzleof the projecting device may be made to move less rapidly over one ormore longitudinal sections of the passage thus applying tothose sectionsa somewhat thicker coating. In

coating ditches it has been found advantageous to make thecoatingthickest at the bottom of the ditch and gradually decreasing inthickness toward the edges.

To illustrate this invention three forms of machines for coating ditchesare shown in the drawings and will be described in detail. It will beunderstood, however, that other forms may be used within the broad scopeof this invention and that the new method of coating and the new form ofcoating are not limited to any specific form of machine. In thedrawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine for applying a coating toditches in accordance with matic projecting device generally known as a7 the p n in a P r of h ditch being removed to expose the machine toview;

Figure 1A is a detail of Figure 1 taken line A- Figure 2 is a plan viewof the same machine; Figure 3 is an end elevation of th same machine;

Figure 4 is a side of ditchcoating machine in which the carriage isSupported on wheels-which are outside of the ditch. Part of the machineand part of the ditch is removed to show the working parts of themachine; I

Figure 5 is an end elevation of the machine of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is an end elevation ofa machine for coating ditches which arewide and flat instead of semicircular;

Figure 7 is a plan view of the machine of Figure 6; I

Figure 8 is a detail view of part of the machine in Figure 6 showing thesupport for th nozzle arm.

The machines shown are all for use in the coating of ditchesbut bymodification they can D be adapted to the coating of other passages suchas tunnels. When such modifications are made, the movement of the armand nozzle may, if desired, be made rotary instead of oscillating, as isnecessary in the coating of ditches.

Each of the machines illustrated comprises a frame ll, supported uponwheels I2 and carrying a driving motor l3. The motor is shown as aninternal combustion engine but may be an elec- -tric motor, a compressedair motor Or any other device that will supply the necessary operatingpower for the machine.

In the machine shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 the wheels l2 are three innumber and each is mounted on a short shaft l5 secured in a bracket ISon the underside of the frame. One of the elevation of a modified formwheel. Usually the machine is supported upon the coated portion of theditch but it may precede the coating nozzle instead of following itchine.

through the ditch in which case it will rest upon the uncoated ditch.The mountings for the wheels are made adjustable where the machine is tobe used in ditches of various sizes so that they may be adjusted for useaccording to the size and shape of the ditch.

The nozzle of a pneumatic mortar projector is supported at the end of anarm 2| adjustably fixed to a tubular member 22 that extends axially ofthe ditch and is mounted in bearings 23 and 24 upon the frame, in whichit is free to rotate or oscillate. Collars 25 prevent the member frommoving axially in the bearings. Preferably the nozzle 20 is supportedmerely by being removably received in a fork 26 formed at the end of thearm to receive it. The arm is formed in two sections pivoted together at260 so that they may be moved relative to each other to adjustthedirection of the nozzle. Connected to the nozzle are water andmaterial supply tubes 21 and 28 respectively. These tubes, whichareusually flexible hose, lie side by side on the exopening in the bracket56 that supports one end of the cam shaft' and in a similar opening inasimllar bracket 6| on the other side of the ma- The teeth 62 of therack bar are positioned over the hollow portion of the nozzle supportingarm 2| and mesh with a spur gear 53 rigidly mounted thereon. Thus as thecam 51 is revolved the rack is moved back and forth to oscillate thenozzle arm. The angle through which the arm oscillates and the relativespeed of the arm at different times during the oscillation may beaccurately determined by the shape of the cam. Means additional tomechanism described may be provided to permit the rate of movement ofthe carriage to be changed to adjust the thickness of the coatingwithout changing the rate of oscillation of the nozzle.

It will be noted from the drawing that the nozzle is held somewhat abovethe axis of rotation and is slanted back towards the machine. Somewhatbetter results may be obtained by so locating and directing the nozzleunder certain conditions. Particularly, when the ditch is small, that isunder forty-two inches in radius, it is desirable to have thenozzle-above the axis of rotation so that it will not be too close tothe surface being coated. The slanting of the nozzle towards the alreadycoated section of the ditch throws any loose sand back upon the finishedditch where it does no harm, and seems to compact the coating and makeit more uniform.

I However, either or both of these features may tending portion of thearm 2| which is shaped to receive and hold them as shown in Figure 1A;pass through the tubular member 22; and also through an additionalsupporting sleeve 29 mounted in a bearing 30 at the rear of the machine.

The amount of water introduced into the material at the nozzle may beadjusted either under the motor at a valve 3| or at the nozzle itself bya valve 32. The last mentioned valve and the fork mounting for thenozzle are provided so that the nozzle may be taken from the machine andused by hand, if desired, for example on the edges of the ditch.

To connect the motor so that it will oscillate the arm 2| and at thesame time move the whole machinev along the ditch, a gear box 40 ismounted on the frame at the end of the motor l3. From this gear box theends of a cross shaft 4| extend, the cross shaft being driven from themotor shaft when the gears of the gear box are in mesh. The meshing ofthe gears in the box is controlled by a gear shifting lever 42 on thetop of the gear box 40. On one end of the cross shaft 4| is a sprocket43 carrying a chain or link belt 44 connecting it with a similarsprocket 45 fixed non-rotatably to the short shaft l5 to which theforward wheel l2 of the machine is also non-rotatably fastened. Thus themotor is connected to move the machine along the ditch. The nozzle armis, in the illustrated machine, oscillated by-power taken from the otherendof the cross shaft 4|. On this end the cross shaft carried a freelyrotatable sprocket 50, and a clutch 5|, for clutching it to the shaft. Achain or-link belt 52, connects the sprocket to another sprocket 53fixed to a shaft 54 held rotatably in brackets 55 and 56 on the frame.Between the brackets the shaft 54 carries a cylindrical cam 51 having asurface track 58 in which a follower 59 is positioned. Supporting thefollower 59 and moved laterally thereby as the cam rotates is a rackbar, slidably mounted in an be omitted as has been done in the machineof Figures 4 and 5.

Essentially, this latter machine does not differ from the one alreadydescribed, but is merely a modified construction in which the nozzle islocated substantially on the axis of rotation and directedperpendicularly to the surface of the ditch and in which the supportingwheels are so placed that they rest on the ground at the sides .of theditch instead of on the ditch surface.

To place the wheels outside the ditch they are 1 increased to four innumber and mounted in pairs on axles 10, spanning the ditch. On each ofthese axles are two bearing arms 1| fixed to opposite sides of the frameand in these the axle is free to rotate. Boards 12 on the sides of theditch may support the wheels so as to protect the edges of the ditch andkeep the machine at a uniform height above the ditch surface. Coilars l3prevent the axles Hi from sliding laterally in the bearing arm. Becauseof the new position of the supporting wheels, they are driven in aslightly different manner. In the new position a sprocket 15 rigidlyfixed on the forward axle III is driven from the sprocket 43 at the sideof the gear box by a chain or link belt 16. The wheels on the drivenaxle are, of course, fixed thereon non-rotatably. The advantage of thismachine is that it makes no board or wheel marks on the surface of theditch and is certain to remain level as long as the sides of the ditchare even.

A machine for guniting ditches that are relatively wide and shallowinstead of semicircular is shown in Figures 6, 7 and 8. While the basicfeatures of this machine are the same as those of the machines alreadydescribed, the detailed construction is quite different. As do the othermachines, this machine comprises a frame H, wheels I2, and a motor l3.There are four wheels in this construction, mounted in pairs on axles80, which are carried in bearing arms 8| on the underside of the frameThe other parts of this machine are somewhat different from thecorresponding partsof the machines of Figures 1 to 5.

-On one end of the frame H, is mounted a laterally extending I-beam 82,the ends of which are bent upwardly so as to parallel the side walls ofthe ditch to be coated. The nozzle carrying arm is in the form of aU-shaped member 83, that extends over the I-beam and is movablysupported thereon by two rollers 84 and 85 mounted in openings 86 and 81in the U-shaped member. Each of the rollers'is freely rotatable on ashort shaft 88 fastened to the U-shaped member. One roller 84 bearsagainst the top of the I-beam while the second roller 85 bears againstthe side of the I-beam away from the body of the machine. n the sidetowards the to a driving chain 90 which will be hereafter moreparticularly described and on the opposite side the member terminates ina horizontally extending forked section 9| receiving and supporting thenozzle of a pneumatic mortar projector. As the machine operates, the U-shaped member and the nozzle are reciprocated or oscillated back andforth from one end to.

the other of the I-beam 82, thus applying the coating in laterallyextending strips as before.

Bracing the I-beam 82 is a cross beam 93 extending between the ends of.the I-beam vand connected to the frame H, by angular supporting members94. Ateach end of the I-beam is a rearwardly extending, forked bearingmember 95, holding on a short shaft 96 a pulley 91 around which thedriving chain 90 extends. Opposite the bends in the I-beam four pulleys98 are provided to cause the chain to follow the contour of the I-beam.These pulleys are suitably journalled in brackets on the frame II. Nospecial means are provided in this machine to carry the water andmaterial tubes leading to' the nozzle but suitable means may be arrangedif it becomes necessary.

The driving connections in this latter type of machine are basicallysimilar to those already described but differ considerably in detail. 0n

a similar manner. The coating itself is essentially different because ofits varying thickness and the homogeneity resulting from its uniformsystematicapplication. Likewise, the method of coating is different fromthose previously in use since, it provides for the application of thecoating in even, uniformly spaced stripswhich make an unusually goodcovering with the least possible labor and material.

Among the structural refinements that may be provided in the newmachines may be mentioned the provision of shields to protect themachine and its operation against wind and of trowelling devicesoscillated with the projector machine the U-shaped member 83 isconnected nozzle to smooth away the last bit of. roughness from thesurface of the passage.

This application is a division of application Serial Number 722,585,filed by this same inventor on April 26, 1934, Patent No. 2,176,891,issued October 24, 1939.

I claim:

' 1. A machine for applying a coating to the inside of a passage thatcomprises a nozzle arranged to point at the side of the passage to becoated through which the coating material is means to move the nozzleaxially along the pas-v sage.

2.. A machine for applying a coating to the inside of a ditch or tunnelthat comprises a nozzle the shaft I00 of the motor I3 is a V-belt pulleyI 0| free to rotate but adapted to be clutched to the shaft by a clutchI02 adjacent thereto: Connected to the pulley IOI by a V-belt I03 aretwo similar pulleys I84 and I05. One of these pulleys I04 is mountedrigidly on a shaft carried in suitable bearing members I01, below theframe and connected by bevel gears I08 to one of the axles H5 connectsthe pulley I I3 to a horizontal pulley I IS on a stud shaft I I!supported from the frame. Adjacent the pulley and fixed thereto forrotation therewith is a sprocket I I8 meshing with and driving thedriving chain that moves the nozzle carrying arm.

It will be apparent from a consideration of the machines described thatothers involving the same principles but with structural differences maybe designed to produce similar coatings in axially of the ditch ortunnel.

arranged to point at the side of the passage to be coated through whichthe coating material is propelled toward the'side of the passage, meansto move the nozzle circumferentially in a substantially-vertical plane,said means moving the nozzle more slowly over one portion of the surfacethan over another and at a gradually changing speed therebetween, andinterconnected means to move the nozzle along the ditch or tunnel.

3. A machine for applying a coating toditches or tunnels that comprisesa frame, means to I movably support the frame in the ditch or tunnel,

.a gun having a nozzle for projecting coating material against thesurface of the ditch or tunnel, means supporting said gun on the framefor rotation in a substantially vertical plane with said nozzle directedagainst said surface, driving means for oscillating said gun, saiddriving means oscillating said gun at slower speed through the middleportion of each oscillation than near the ends thereof, andinterconnected means for moving the machine axially of the ditch ortunnel.

4. A machine for applying a coating to ditches or tunnels that comprisesa 'frame, means to movably support the frame in the ditch or tunnel, agun having a nozzle for projecting coating materialagainst the surfaceof the ditch or tunnel, means supporting said gun on the frame forrotation in a substantially vertical plane with said nozzle directedagainst said surface, cam driving means foroscillating said gun, saiddriving means oscillating said gun at slower speed through the middleportion of each oscillation than near the ends thereof, andinterconnected means for moving. the machine JOHN M. cao vr.

